Overview



What - A luxurious 9,205-square-foot, five-bedroom home designed and constructed to surpass Built Green standards, using natural, reclaimed and organic materials wherever possible. Built with Cultured Logs,TM which are made from composite materials, the home requires relatively little maintenance and is fire-resistant. Even though it is a large structure, this family home will leave as small a footprint on the land as possible, living in harmony with the surrounding vegetation. Ground was broken in July 2006. The home will be completed and open to the public in July 2007.

Who - Mountain Living has joined with Ken Pieper and Associates and KPA Construction of Evergreen, Colorado (kenpieper.com), Cultured Log SystemsTM of Missoula, Montana (culturedlogs.com), and numerous other eco-friendly suppliers.

Where - Bear Dance, located in the countryside near Larkspur, Colorado, is an environmentally conscious development with more than one-half of its land devoted to open space. “Gene Taylor is a responsible developer in the truest sense,” says professional designer Ken Pieper. “There is a conservation easement as well as a beautiful and challenging championship golf course.”

Follow the building process in every issue of Mountain Living and on our website (mountainliving.com) where you can see exclusive photos and video coverage.

An Overview of an Eco-Trend

Although green building has gained popularity in recent years, it has a long history. Back in the 19th century, London’s Crystal Palace ushered in the Age of Possibility with passive systems such as roof ventilators and underground air-cooling chambers to moderate indoor temperature. In the early 20th century, skyscrapers like New York’s Flatiron Building (at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway) was built with deep-set windows to shade the rooms from direct sun. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright famously used large overhangs to allow the sun into his prairie-style houses during the winter and keep it out in the summer.

Global warming, rising energy costs and a concern about the quality of the environment has tapped into a very American can-do attitude. Forward-looking companies like Sub-Zero and Wolf have developed super-efficient refrigeration. Sherwin Williams has developed a low-odor, zero-VOC, silica-free high-performance paint. Architects are specifying floors of reclaimed wood or renewable resources like bamboo. Designers are creating furniture out of recycled corrugated cardboard and area rugs out of materials like palm leaves, cactus and hemp. Building and decorating green is hot.

The Details

This home will be energy efficient, fire-resistant and leave the trees and vegetation that surround it largely undisturbed.

EXTERIOR - walls, made from class-A materials, including cultured logs manufactured by Cultured Log Systems,TM will contribute to the home’s fire-resistant exterior.

INSULATION - is formaldehyde-free, committed to the well being of your family and providing superior energy performance for the life of your home.

HEATING - comes from energy-saving radiant heat, including Warmboard® under the wood floors.

Top Reasons to Go Green

SAVING MONEY - An air-sealed building “envelope” saves energy and keeps pollutants out. Efficient and centrally located furnaces heat every room economically. Low-E windows save energy and protect furnishings from UV damage.

SAVING RESOURCES - Low-flow faucets, shower heads and toilets cut back on a household’s water consumption. Advanced lighting packages, including compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), require only a fraction of the electricity of a normal bulb.

BETTER HEALTH - Using non-toxic paints, sealants and adhesives protects the quality of indoor air.

For more, visit builtgreen.org

Natural Dream Home

Introduction

Overview

Rooms

Landscaping

Green Money

Floorplans

Video

Sponsors

Resources